Former Italian player Oleg Antonov is a new player for the newly promoted Yuasa Grottazzolina. The hammer who boasts 137 appearances for the national team and the conquest of the silver medal in the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games. The decidedly particular story is that his father Jaroslav also played for the Fermo club back in 1996.
Born in ’88, 198 cm tall, born in Moscow but raised in volleyball in Treviso following in his father’s footsteps. After some experiences gained in A2 (Mantua and Genoa), in 2012 he spent two years in A1 in Cuneo, where he played in the Champions League final, and then flew to France, where he won the Championship, Cup and Super Cup in Tours. The exploit opened the prestigious doors of Trento to him, where he remained for another two years. In 2017, after starting the season in Vibo Valentia, he received an unmissable offer from the Turkish top flight, moving to the prestigious Ziraat Bankasi club. In 2018 he moved to Ural, the Russian Superleague, and then concluded the season once again in Turkey, this time at Galatasaray. The post-pandemic is recent history, Oleg returns to Italy and plays for two years in Piacenza, before moving to Prisma Taranto in 2022-23. He played the season just ended in Russia, at Nova, until the special call-up to Grottazzolina, in the top flight. A matter of the heart, and the heart cannot be commanded.
Married, and father of three wonderful children, Antonov will arrive in Grottazzolina a year after the hit and run of 2023, when traveling for the holidays to southern Italy he did not fail to stop in the small town of Fermo to say goodbye to lifelong friends, visiting also the sports hall.
At the end of July he will return again, this time to stay, because now Oleg Antonov and Grottazzolina have a piece of history to write together: “I don’t like to create particular expectations, I don’t like forecasts, the season must be lived. What I know for sure is that a difficult season awaits us in a very competitive championship, with high-level teams. However, we are also competitive, it will be important to stay united and create a good group. I’m very happy to play Grottazzolina, with all the story behind it. For my part, I will do everything possible to achieve the goal and entertain the public, fans and all of Grottazzolina.”
